A beautiful freshwater fish that may be seen in any kind of freshwater aquarium is the red-tailed shark. In addition to providing hours of entertainment, it is an active fish to see the delight. For a significant amount of time, we have been learning. They have a simple but eye-catching look that is uncommon in other varieties. This fish has really drawn a lot of attention from the aquarium community over the years because of its aesthetic appeal. This is true even if the species’ future is undoubtedly somewhat precarious.
These fish are more than simply beautiful, however. In actuality, they may be quite low maintenance and are very easy to care for. They are quite simple to feed since they are not choosy, and once they are comfortable in their aquarium, they shouldn’t have any trouble maintaining excellent behavior. fortunate if you put them in the right environment. This brief essay covers all the essential information you need to know to properly care for a red-tailed shark, including common behaviors, issues with fish tanks, feeding requirements, the shark’s size, mates in a suitable storage tank, and much more.
Contents
- 1 Overview of Red Tail Shark
- 1.1 Life expectancy
- 1.2 Red Tail Shark Look
- 1.3 Red Tail Shark Dimension
- 1.4 Regular Behavior
- 1.5 Red Tail Shark Storage Tank Mates
- 1.6 Environment and Storage Tank Requirements
- 1.7 Storage tank Conditions
- 1.8 Red Tail Shark Diet Plan as well as Feeding
- 1.9 Compatibility and Tankmates
- 1.10 Water Specifications.
- 1.11 What To Place in Their Tank.
- 1.12 Illness Potential.
- 2 Final thought.
Overview of Red Tail Shark
The Red Tail Shark (Epalzeorhynchos Bicolor), likewise referred to as Red Tail Black Shark, Fire Tail, Red-Tailed Labeo, and also Red Tail Shark Minnow, is a small freshwater fish native to Thailand. It was discovered in the clear waters and also floodplains in the Menam Chao Phraya basin, but due to too much poaching, it was believed to have come to be extinct.
- Nevertheless, as a result of the flourishing aquarium profession, the breed survives in private collections.
- This fish is commonly recognized for its outstanding appearance; it has a black body with a vivid, forked red tail.
- Despite what its name would imply, this fish is in fact a kind of carp, not a shark as well and comes from the Cyprinidae family.
- In captivity, you ought to expect your fish to mature to 6 inches, with most expanding to 5 inches, as well as it should live to around 6 years old.
As a result of their territorial nature, they ought to be kept in huge aquariums. It is an omnivore as well as not a fussy eater, consuming most points placed into the aquarium.
Life expectancy
The average Red Tail Shark lifespan is between 5 and 8 years. While there’s always an element of randomness to this, there are some things you can do to make certain that they live as long as possible.
Among them are purchasing your fish from a reliable seller, maintaining them in a great habitat, and minimizing anxiety by keeping them with the appropriate container mates. Do not stress, we cover every one of those topics in this guide.
Red Tail Shark Look
The Epalzeorhynchos Bicolor is a standout in any kind of freshwater aquarium, with a deep black body balanced out with a red forked tail. It’s their dorsal fin that is comparable in look to a shark, which is where its name comes from.
Their body is long and also slim with squashed sides and a curved back. As for its head, you will certainly notice it has red eyes, and also its mouth has two sets of barbs. The form of its mouth helps it to scrape algae off the bottom of the aquarium.
- You must expect them to grow up to 6″, with the majority expanding to around 5″.
- Interestingly, when they are worried, you will notice their red tail begins to discolor in shade.
At birth, you will not be able to tell the difference between males and females. However, as the woman matures and also reaches sexual maturation, you will certainly observe she has a fatter and all-around abdomen.
The Red Tail Shark is commonly confused with the Rainbow Shark. Whilst they do both belong to the Cyprinidae family, they remain in reality different breeds. Along with the red tail, the Rainbow Shark also has red fins. You must likewise see to it not to maintain your Epalzeorhynchos Bicolor with Rainbow Sharks, as they will battle; more on this in the compatibility and also storage tank friend area.
Red Tail Shark Dimension
The average Red Tail Shark size is between 4 as well as 6 inches when completely grown. This presumes excellent treatment and also hereditary problems. In our experience, these varieties will commonly end up being on the greater end of that variety as long as you’re giving them proper care. We do not understand numerous aquarists who have a Red Tail under 5 inches.
Regular Behavior
As juveniles, you will certainly locate your Red Tails to be fairly timid. Consequently, you should give them lots of rooms to hide (check out the tank demands section below for more recommendations). As they mature into grown-ups, they will end up being territorial as well as can be aggressive to fish that stray into their territory.
Whilst they won’t physically bite or bother various other fish, they will chase them to the point of exhaustion. Every day, you will find this fish swimming back as well as at the bottom of the container. During feeding time, you will certainly discover them bullying other fish if you feed them too closely together.
In a very large storage tank (200+ gallons) with a large number of hiding places, it’s possible to keep several Epalzeorhynchos bicolor species, however, each fish will need at least 1 meter of the container length.
Red Tail Shark Storage Tank Mates
As a result of their potential to be aggressive fish, you must choose the right storage tank companions for your Red Tail Shark. Fish that are extremely curious, aggressive, or bottom-dwellers aren’t a good suitable for them. They’ll either roam right into the Red Tail’s region or start a fight.
Fish that will mind their very own organization as well as invest more of their time in the upper fifty percent of the aquarium work. There’s never a complete guarantee that you will not see hostile habits, but if you intend to maintain them in an area tank, those are the type of fish you’re searching for.
Below are some feasible Red Tail Shark container mates:
- Neon Tetra
- Bala Shark
- Honey Gourami
- Sparkling Gourami
- Congo Tetra
- Pearl Gourami
- Angelfish
- Dwarf Gourami
While it’s certainly feasible to keep more than one Red Tail Shark in the very same aquarium, it includes danger. As a result of their territorial nature, there’s a high likelihood that these fish will battle unless they have a considerable amount of space.
In order to get around this, it’s suggested to have a few of them in the very same container instead of two. Nevertheless, this also indicates you’ll need to obtain a relatively huge storage tank. That’s why we advise you to avoid doing this as well as go with other storage tank companies instead.
Note: Fish that look similar ought not to be kept in the very same storage tank. An excellent example of this is the Rainbow Shark. There’s something about the red pigmentation that brings out territorial and aggressive actions.
Environment and Storage Tank Requirements
As formerly mentioned, the Red Tail Black Shark is native to the freshwater algae ponds of Thailand. Throughout the stormy period, they will inhabit the bottomlands, streams as well as woodland areas. It is a very energetic fish that will invest the majority of its time in “hectic”.
Over the last few decades, the wild population of Red Tails has actually been all but eliminated because of commercial-grade farming as well as excessive poaching. It is now noted as seriously threatened. However, a prospering aquarium trade has actually suggested this breed is still in existence.
Storage tank Conditions
As they are known for being territorial (much more on this later), you ought to guarantee that juveniles have a container-sized at the very least 29 gallons and adults should be positioned in at the very least 55+ gallons.
You should likewise attempt to split the suck to limit the number of territorial habits and also aid safeguard even more timid container companions. To split the tank up you can make use of caves, driftwood, as well as ensure the tank is well grown.
Water problems in the aquarium should be as follows:
- Temperature: 72 ° F and 79 ° F. – pH: 6.8-7.5.
- Water Solidity: 5-15 dH. For the water flow, you must try to see if the water is rapidly moving to reproduce its natural surroundings. For the substratum, you must be using crushed rock as well as stones.
- Additionally, keep in mind they can be jumpers, so a weighted cover should be used.
Red Tail Shark Diet Plan as well as Feeding
The Red Tail Shark is an omnivore, and in the wild, its diet regimen will contain plants, crustaceans, and other small prey. They are also known for being scavengers and will certainly consume most points you take into the fish tank, including flakes, pellets, live, as well as frozen foods. The cornerstone of their diet should consist of a top-quality pellet or flake. You can include some selection to this by treating them with meat and plant/vegetable.
For plant matter as well as vegetables, you can feed them:
- Cucumber
- Peas
- Zucchini
- Fruit
As for meat, you can feed them:
- Brine shrimp
- Krill
- Bloodworms
- Daphnia
If you are feeding them vegetables, make sure to clean them beforehand as well as rapidly eliminate them from the storage tank to stop them from decomposing. They are likewise referred to as an algae eater, as well as you will certainly see them scratching algae from stones in your tank.
Simply bear in mind that they must have much more veggies and also plants than meat, as well as you ought to change up their diet regularly to supply them with some variety. You might also think about making your fish food to ensure they are obtaining the best possible diet.
Compatibility and Tankmates
They have credibility for being somewhat aggressive and precarious fish. This credibility is right, as it is a territorial fish that will certainly come to be hostile needs to other fish enter its area or interrupt its feeding sessions.
Whilst it won’t always assault and damage various other fish, it will certainly chase them constantly. This can cause the harassed fish to merely pass away of exhaustion and poor nutrition. Even though the Red Tail isn’t exactly the perfect prospect for a community storage tank, you can still maintain it with various other fish. You just need to be mindful of your selection.
Perfect Tankmates ought to be durable, quick, and often tend to invest their time in the center and also the top levels of the water column. A few examples include:
- Bala Shark
- Barbs
- Danios
- Angelfish
- Gouramis
- Tetras (emperor, cardinal, neon, and also glowlight).
- As for fish to avoid, the list is comprehensive!
Various other sharks, such as Rainbow and Red-finned, should be clear of. Fish with considerable red coloration can additionally be bullied. To be risk-free, I would additionally suggest just preventing all other bottom occupants consisting including Plecos and Cichlids.
Finally, it does without claiming that any type of peaceful/docile fish needs to likewise be avoided.
Water Specifications.
Water criteria are an aspect of Red Tail Shark treatment that you won’t need to worry much about. These fish are rather sturdy and also can endure a reasonable range in the list below degrees:
- Water temperature: 72 ° F to 79 ° F( we choose the top half of that range).
- pH levels: 6.5 to 7.5.
- Water solidity: 10-15 KH.
Although these aren’t the most delicate varieties in the world, you need to constantly inspect the water criteria consistently. This will certainly protect against anything from shifting out of the recommended home windows and also impacting the health of your fish.
Buy a strong aquarium testing package to make sure the readings you’re obtaining are accurate. We’ve understood aquarists who have done significant damage to their tank as a result of an incorrect analysis!
What To Place in Their Tank.
Establishing an excellent Red Tail Shark habitat is rather easy once you comprehend their natural environment. As we stated earlier, this fish comes from the largest lake and the largest area in central Thailand. These waters have lots of greenery, wood, and also rocks.
This implies you should include these things if you want your fish to be comfy. Not just will they offer enrichment as well as something these fish are familiar with, but it will likewise minimize their hostile propensities.
Any type of durable and reasonably-sized plants like hornwort or water wisteria will certainly function well. Many proprietors’ve said their Red Tail Shark has made a decision to make its home in plants rather than caves.
Some driftwood is a great inclusion that will certainly supply some range as well as places for fish to conceal. See to it there’s enough room to swim after including everything. It’s easy to go overboard when decorating a tank!
Illness Potential.
Red Tail Black Sharks do not have a certain disease that afflicts their varieties, but they can get any of the usual freshwater illnesses that exist. One of the most common is Ich, as well as fin rot. The chance of this occurring goes down dramatically if you supply them with excellent care as well as high-grade water conditions, yet the possibility is always there.
Our suggestion is to concentrate on avoidance rather than being paranoid about therapy. If your fish are unfortunate enough to get sick, there are a bunch of great sources online about how to take care of the illness (we’ll be adding some to our website very soon, too).
Until after that, do your ideal to feed your Red Tail Shark fantastic food and also give them a top-notch habitat. Be consistent concerning monitoring parameters and doing partial water modifications (this is the most common cause of illness).
Keep in mind: You ought to likewise invest a few minutes every day evaluating your fish. Take a close seek to see if you notice anything out of the ordinary on their body (or in their actions). The earlier you realize that something is wrong, the better.
Final thought.
The Red Tail Shark is a spectacular freshwater fish that will undoubtedly remain in the aquarium scene for quite a while. Their unique appearance, as well as simple treatment demands, make them suitable for a wide range of experience levels. The only semi-tricky part of having one is dealing with their aggressiveness (and that’s just something to stress over if you plan on keeping them in a community container).
We hope this guide has prepared you for Red Tail Shark care and urged you to give this variety a shot. There’s absolutely nothing quite like seeing those bright red spots streak around your fish tank! Visit our homepage to see more: CHAMPAGNE REEF
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